Empagliflozin alone and in combination with metformin ameliorate diabetes type 2-oxidative stress

Abstract

Currently, one of the major public health concerns is diabetes mellitus, which is known as a silent killer due to the failure to diagnose it at an early stage. A growing body of research indicates that metformin and empagliflozin have antioxidant properties in addition to their hypoglycemic properties. Our research looked into the potential antioxidant effects of metformin and empagliflozin on diabetic rats by decreasing oxidative stress. For eight weeks, 42 adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into six groups: normal control, diabetic control group, diabetic group received dimethyl sulfoxide as a vehicle(solvent) of the empagliflozin, 250 mg/kg metformin only, 10 mg/kg empagliflozin only and a combination of both. A single injection of 40 mg/kg streptozocin administered intraperitoneally was after administering 10% fructose in drinking water for two weeks to cause type 2 diabetes in rats. The evaluation of oxidative stress involved the quantification of serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels upon completion of the experimental period. Additionally, blood glucose levels were determined using blood samples from the tail, and body weight was monitored on a weekly basis. Our findings showed that compared to the diabetic group, the therapy groups had considerably lower blood glucose, and serum MDA levels, while higher levels of SOD, and less decrease in body weight. Furthermore, even better results were obtained when empagliflozin and metformin were administered together. As a result of our findings, diabetic rats treated with empagliflozin and metformin had lower levels of oxidative stress.